Any plan to stem the bloodshed is impossible unless the US, Russia, and others stop sending arms to either side

The United Nations human rights chief warned on Monday that arms supplies to both the Syrian government and the rebel militias were deepening the conflict and hindering the efficacy of the new plan for a unity government.

UN official Navi Pillay condemned the continued flow of weapons from foreign powers to both sides in the Syrian conflict. “The ongoing provision of arms to the Syrian government and to its opponents feeds additional violence,” she said in the text of remarks made to the Security Council. “Any further militarization of the conflict must be avoided at all costs.”

The support has continued even though outside powers are well aware that both sides in the conflict have committed serious atrocities and human rights abuses and despite the fact that experts have repeatedly said such policies are worsening the conflict.

James Dobbins, director of the RAND International Security and Defense Policy Center and a former US assistant secretary of state told NPR recently, “the external environment in which sides are providing arms to both of the contending parties—all of that suggests that the situation’s going to continue to deteriorate.”

In a meeting called by UN envoy to Syria Kofi Annan, world powers agreed on a plan for a political transition in Syria in a meeting in Geneva on Saturday called by UN envoy Kofi Annan. A unity government will be formed according to a democratic process and can include members of the present regime as well as opposition.

What was missing from the new Annan plan was any demand for outside powers to quit aiding either side in Syria. Indeed, a legitimate political transition would be impossible to realize with Russia continuing to prop up the Assad regime and with the US and its allies continuing to aid the rebel militias in a bid to “[pursue] regime change by civil war in Syria,” as Joshua Landis of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma has described it.

Syran war first was announced as a war against tyranny, later it was changed to war for democracy and every other unrealistic and nonsense that US head of the state department Hillary Clinton and EU – NATO governments could come up with. Non of these governments even thought about the word Tyrants, Tyranny and all related wording which relates to the fact that English Tyranny is been ruling England for over a century, so is the fact with Swedish, the Danish, Norwegian, the Spanish, the Belgium, and so on. This in one hand and in the other you have the Saudis, the UAE and Jordanians kingdom.

Although people argue that these countries are democratic, yet it is the same democratic elected governments whom are at war, creating wars so as their militarism regimes as NATO’ and at war all over the world, wanting to implement what is not there nor is practiced at home. If saving the rich and making people pay for rich people to get richer, making banks to get paid for their crimes and all other social economic crime committed by giant companies and thats democracy to these governments, then no one would want to have such democracy including Syrian people.

Syria is not a Tyrant regime, nor there is Kingdom with their cousins ruling the country, In the other hand; it is not the English government who runs the England social political or its economic affair but rather it is the monarch – the Bank of England dose by “advising” the government what to do after their weekly meetings.

If NATO – militarism – countries consider themselves democratized by their militarism regime, or the Neo Fascism who governs the system, then the world should have become part of that delusional – deluded and falsified democracy long time ago.

Look, at the concepts of governments whom are involved in Syrian war, one part is feudal, as Saudis and UAE, the other non democratic also in the hands of Kingdom EU countries that are ruled by their kings and queens, and third is a militarism regime as US-NATO, and they all want to change the world for the better…, and that is why they all are at wars and been at wars for last 60 years.

There is no other way but for US and EU – Saudis, Israel and UAE, Turkish and Jordanian government to stop supporting these “rebels without a cause” the Saudis and UAE barbarians, the Jihadis, the Wahhabis and let the people of Syria to decide for their life, for their future, it is not the US nor EU responsibility to take the Syrian peoples future in their hands destroying it one way or the other. Leave the people of middle east alone and resign Hillary Clinton.

Ben_C

There's a clear way to get Assad out–it's called "voting"/"elections" (i.e. "democracy). Everyone seems on board with "elections" except the FSA (i.e. the "rebels) and perhaps other elements of the "opposition". The US probably isn't all too thrilled with the idea of "elections" if Assad is on the ballot–and there are most likely other international players who share the US's position. Why is this? Based on the way this 'situation" has been framed (by the 'lame-stream', of course)…Assad representing a minority religious group of elites and all…getting rid of Assad via "elections" should be easy. Obviously the way this situation has been generally "explained" in the lame-stream isn't quite consistent with "reality"…

That aside; if the political will is there: Assad and his regime will be held "accountable" for whatever alleged "atrocities" all individuals in question are responsible for in whatever way the "political will" demands. A UN "plan" is not required. UN involvement in any way, shape, or form is unnecessary. I think this goes without saying; however, obviously it does not.

If the political will were present in the US to hold all individuals in the George W. Bush Administration accountable for any, and all, violations of the 'law' (any, and all, 'atrocities' and/or 'human rights violations' included), then all such individuals would be held "accountable" and receive "justice" accordingly. The same is true for any, and all, individuals currently in the Obama Administration–an Administration, I might add, that looks to be the strong favorite to 'win' in the upcoming election if you study the Electoral College "map"…

The "opposition" needs to come to terms with the fact that living in a 'pluralistic' society means that you won't get your way all the time and, at the very least, 'violence' isn't the way to get what you want…in fact, 'violence' tends to produce the opposite result. This lesson alone is the "best" anyone can hope for in this "situation"….

rybo1

This is something that anyone with a functioning brain knew many months ago or even for a longer period of time. Now, the light dawns for the UN? Actually, they knew it all along, but had to bide time to satisfy their masters.

saddM

the un are a bunch of spies, they work for the interests of israel

Charles

The U.S. policy against the government of Syria and its sanctions against Iran will only hurt the people in those countries, and shows the horrible un-retouched face of the United States and its policies of lies and deception of claiming that it supports the people. I hate to see what would happen to the people in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc., if the U.S. WAS against the people.

Charles

This bitch is blaiming both sides, the foreign terrorist as well as government forces, as if a government is not supposed to have arms to fight the terrorists. Also, the bitch conveniently forgets to mention that not only Iran and Russia but also the majority of Syrians support Assad’s government.

"This ***** is blaiming both sides, the foreign terrorist as well as the domestic terrorists, as if the terrorists in charge are not supposed to have arms to fight the terrorists who want to be in charge."

There, fixed that for ya.

Adil

There are a few types of people who might support or defend the Syrian regime, such as the utterly uninformed, utterly indifferent, or utterly immoral. They have no idea… For decades this wicked regime has been destroying humanity in Syria, creating a culture of fear, corruption, bribery, and the sick concept of the infallibility of the one leader. Hundreds of thousands of people dead, vanished, incarcerated and tortured. Even kids are tortured by the soulless servants of this regime. Syria and Lebanon (the second immediate victim) had better get rid of these fascists this time, by any means necessary. As for elections, that's certainly a joke. A regime that has perfected the ruthless elimination of dissent cannot be trusted with any elections. The murderous Bashar had the chance before and after the revolution to gain legitimacy from the people through elections, but that never occurred to him and his goons for his is a police state that crushes the people instead of feeling responsible before them. Bashar cannot be on the ballot. He and his criminal gang should be tried for crimes against humanity, crimes they committed against their own people when they asked for freedom and some dignity.